Current Conditions

Alerts

Page last updated November 26

With some areas of the parks still closed as a result of the KNP Complex Wildfire, expect open areas to be crowded with limited parking, especially on holiday weekends.

Partial Reopening of Sequoia National Park

The Foothills area of Sequoia National Park is open. You may travel between the Three Rivers, CA/Ash Mountain Entrance Station to the Hospital Rock Picnic Area, approximately six miles of Generals Highway. This area includes:

• Potwisha Campground is open for first-come, first-serve camping
• Foothills Visitor Center
• Sequoia Parks Conservancy Park Store
• Foothills Picnic Area
• Tunnel Rock
• Potwisha Day Use Area
• Hospital Rock and Hospital Rock Picnic Area
• Middle Fork Trail*

*The Middle Fork Trail is open for day use and overnight backpacking. Self-registration wilderness permits are available at Foothills Visitor Center, not at the trailhead. To reach the Middle Fork Trailhead, park at Hospital Rock and walk toward Buckeye Campground. Turn left at the junction with the road to the trailhead and walk uphill along the dirt road. Please enter and exit at trailheads only in open areas. Trailheads in the Mineral King and Lodgepole areas are closed.

If you plan to visit, check our best practices for staying safe in areas recently burned by wildfires. Several foothills trails and river access points will remain closed due to fire risks and damage. Foothills areas that will remain closed at this time include Potwisha Campground, Buckeye Flat Campground, Marble Falls Trail, Paradise Creek Trail, and the Potwisha-Hospital Rock Trail.

After the extended road closure during the fire, we've noticed more wildlife along the highway. Please drive slowly and watch for animals.

Access to Giant Forest, Lodgepole, and the General Sherman Tree remains closed. If you'd like to see sequoia groves, visit the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park (see below).

The Generals Highway from Hospital Rock to Giant Forest and Lodgepole is still closed, along with the Generals Highway between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Partial Reopening of Kings Canyon National Park

Grant Grove is open, and first-come, first-served camping is available at Azalea Campground. Cedar Grove is now closed for the season.

There is no WiFi at Grant Grove. If you use the NPS Mobile app, please download the app and data before you arrive in Kings Canyon. Cell phone service may be available in the Grant Grove developed area for Verizon customers.

The following areas are open:

• Big Stump Entrance Station on Highway 180
• Azalea Campground in Grant Grove is open for first-come, first-served camping. Twenty sites are available. Snow is common at this elevation in winter.
• The majority of Grant Grove is open, including the General Grant Tree. Panoramic Point, and Big Stump Picnic Area.
• Kings Canyon Visitor Center Information Desk (exhibits and theater remain closed)
• Sequoia Parks Conservancy Park Store, located at Kings Canyon Visitor Center
• Grant Grove Market
• Grant Grove Post Office
• Kings Canyon Wilderness except for Redwood Canyon
• Gift shop open Thanksgiving weekend

Lodging and restaurant in Grant Grove are currently closed.

Closed Areas

Check our Map of Current Closures in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for trip planning information. We're still finalizing the details about open areas in Sequoia National Park and the map may not reflect current closure information.

Weather Conditions

Check the weather before you come, and be prepared for snow and tire chain requirements in Grant Grove, especially after storms.

Wilderness Permits and Overnight Backpacking

Self-issue wilderness permits are available for areas overnight backpacking in areas that are open. Trails in the Lodgepole, Middle Fork, and Mineral King areas of Sequoia National Park remain closed. Wilderness travelers will not be able to exit via these trailheads.

 

 

The KNP Complex Wildfire

The KNP Complex Fire was caused by a significant lightning storm on Thursday September 9, 2021. The parks are collaborating with neighboring agencies to suppress and contain the fire. The KNP Complex fires have been in full suppression since their discovery the morning following the lightning storm.

For fire updates and fire progession maps, please visit the Inciweb KNP Complex web page. For details about the fire's spread, interagency response, firefighting tactics, and a timeline, check our KNP Complex Fire web page.

Neighboring US Forest Service Access and Closures

Some closures in Sequoia National Forest remain in effect. However, they will reopen portions of the Hume Lake Ranger District for public use on Tuesday, October 19, via Forest Order No. 0513-21-36. Some roads and trails will remain closed to protect public safety. The closure order will be in effect through December 31, 2021.

Sierra and Inyo national forests are open.

 

Fire Information

• 

  KNP Complex Fires Information on InciWeb

  This website on KNP Complex Fire includes daily logistics updates, including evacuation information, public meetings, and maps.

• 

  KNP Complex Frequently Asked Questions

  Find answers to frequently asked questions regarding the current KNP Complex fires, and related facilities and service closures.

• 

  KNP Complex Fire Overview

  Learn in depth about KNP Complex management, including priorities, firefighting tactics, fire timeline, and long-term emergency response.

 

COVID-19 Safety

To promote the safety of visitors and staff, masks are required in all NPS buildings, on the Sequoia Shuttle, and while attending Crystal Cave tours, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are also require in outdoor spaces when physical distancing cannot be maintained, such as narrow or busy trails and overlooks.

We urge you to follow National Park Service guidance and CDC guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For the health and safety of others, please choose another time to visit a park if: 

1. You are experiencing COVID-like symptoms such as a dry cough, fever, difficulty breathing, and/or loss of taste or smell.
2. You had close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
3. You are self-isolating or self-quarantining because you may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 or are worried that you may be sick with COVID-19.

 

Information on Neighboring Public Lands

Traveling to Yosemite National Park? Reservations for day use ended on September 30, 2021.

For information on the status of the Sequoia National Forest or Giant Sequoia National Monument (managed by the US Forest Service), visit the Sequoia National Forest website.

For information on Lake Kaweah (managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), visit their website.